A-Z of Protestant Nonconformity in Leicestershire

Barlestone Baptist Church
Barlestone Baptist Church
Coalville Wesleyan chapel
The Wesleyan Methodist Church in Coalville, built in 1881
The Independent Chapel at Bardon
The Independent Chapel at Bardon

Protestant dissent had flourished during the Civil War and the Interregnum of the 1650s.

The Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 brought with it a new Act of Uniformity intended to restore order, and conformity, to the Anglican church. Those ministers who refused to sign up to its provisions were ejected from their livings on 24 August 1662 and they and their followers became known as nonconformists.

In Leicestershire, around a quarter of all ministers left or were ejected that summer.

As a direct result of their stance, Leicestershire has some fine nonconformist churches and chapels. Unfortunately, their future is uncertain, as some congregations move away or otherwise decline.

Our Protestant Nonconformity project has two aims:

  • to build a photographic record of all the nonconformist chapels and churches in Leicestershire, as they are today (whether open for worship, closed or converted to some other use). We owe it to future generations to leave this record.
  • to compile a brief summary of Leicestershire’s nonconformist churches, chapels and their congregations in the 19th and 20th centuries, to accompany the photographic record and as a step towards the completion of a full history of each town and village, which will be published as part of the Leicestershire VCH series

The information available on this website is very much a work-in-progress. We are very grateful to the volunteers who have helped us to get this far, and hope that they and others will come with us on the next stage of our journey. The summaries we currently provide are based on sources including trade directories, the 1829 meeting house returns, the 1851 ecclesiastical census, ordnance survey maps and date stones on the buildings themselves.

The next stage will be to add information from other sources, including those from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as the returns collected in 1669 and 1676, meeting house registrations and licences, and information from Anglican visitation returns. We have started to do this for some entries.

When all the information is assembled, a fuller potted history will be produced and made available on the VCH Explore website. In due course, as the VCH project reaches each parish, this information will form part of the religious history section of a published parish entry for the Victoria County History.

Roman Catholic churches built after 1540 are not included within the scope of this project, but if you are interested in the history and/or architecture of these churches there is a good website available on the Catholic churches of England and Wales, called Taking Stock (note that Leicestershire is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nottingham).

Find out how you can help with this project

You can search the work which has been done to date in two ways:

  • By using our interactive map
  • By the town or village name: click on the red links in the alphabet strip below

 

ABCDEFGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ

 

A

Ab Kettleby

Acresford

Albert Village

Allexton – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Anstey

Appleby Magna

Arnesby

Asfordby

Ashby de la Zouch

Ashby Folville

Ashby Magna

Ashby Parva

Ashby Woulds

Aston Flamville – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Aylestone (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

B

Bagworth

Bardon

Barkby

Barkby Thorpe

Barkestone le Vale

Barlestone

Barrow upon Soar

Barsby

Barton in the Beans

Barwell

Battram

Beeby – No nonconformity found 1829-1916

Belgrave (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Belton

Bescaby – no nonconformity found, 1829-1916

Billesdon (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Bilstone

Birstall

Bitteswell – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Blaby (draft entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Blackfordby

Blaston (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Botcheston – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Bottesford

Boundary

Branston (by Belvoir)

Braunstone (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Breedon on the Hill

Brentingby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Bringhurst (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Brooksby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Broughton Astley (draft entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Bruntingthorpe

Buckminster (entry on VCH Explore site)

Burbage

Burrough on the Hill

Burton Lazars

Burton on the Wolds

Burton Overy (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Bushby (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

C

Cadeby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Carlton (near Market Bosworth)

Carlton Curlieu -none known

Castle Donington (entry from VCH Explore site)

Catthorpe

Chadwell – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Chilcote – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Church Langton (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Claybrook Magna and Parva

Coalville 

Cold Newton – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Cold Overton – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Coleorton

Congerstone

Cosby

Cossington – no Protestant nonconformity has been found 1829-1916; there was a Roman Catholic place of worship here

Coston – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Cotes – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Cotesbach – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Countesthorpe (draft entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Cranoe – no evidence found

Croft

Cropston

Croxton Kerrial

D

Dadlington

Dalby on the Wolds (Old Dalby)

Desford

Diseworth

Dishley

Donington le  Heath

Donisthorpe

Drayton (included in Bringhurst entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Dunton Bassett

E

Earl Shilton

East Langton (included within Church Langton entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

East Norton

Eastwell – no Protestant nonconformity found 1676-1916; there was a Roman Catholic place of worship

Eaton

Edmondthorpe – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Ellistown

Elmsthorpe – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Enderby

Evington (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Eye Kettleby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

F

Fenny Drayton – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Fleckney (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Foxton (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Freeby

Frisby (by Galby) (included in Frisby entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Frisby on the Wreake

Frolesworth

G

Gaddesby

Galby (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Gelsmoor

Garthorpe

Gilmorton

Glenfield

Glen Parva

Glooston (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Goadby Marwood – no nonconformity found 1676-1916

Great Bowden (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Great Dalby

Great Easton (included in Bringhurst entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Great Glen (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Great Stretton (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Griffydam

Grimston

Groby

Gumley (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

H

Hallaton (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Halstead – see Tilton on the Hill

Harby

Harston – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Hathern

Heather

Hemington

Higham on the Hill

Hinckley

Hoby

Holwell

Horninghold (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Hose

Hoton

Houghton on the Hill (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Hugglescote

Humberstone (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Huncote

Hungarton

Husbands Bosworth (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

I

Ibstock

Illston on the Hill – no evidence found

Isley Walton – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

J

K

Kegworth (entry from VCH Explore site)

Keyham – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Kibworth Beauchamp (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Kibworth Harcourt (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Kilby

Kimcote

King’s Norton – no evidence found

Kirby Bellars – more information about the history of Kirby Bellars

Kirby Muxloe

Kirkby Mallory

Knaptoft

Knighton (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Knipton

Knossington (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

L

Laughton (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Leicester (see the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Leire

Little Dalby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Little Stretton – only nonconformity found is registration of house of Thomas Andrews at dissenting meeting house in 1672

Littlethorpe – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Lockington – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Loddington – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Long Clawson

Long Whatton

Loughborough

Lount – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Lowesby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Lubenham (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Lutterworth (draft text for a future VCH entry)

M

Marefield – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Market Bosworth

Market Harborough (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Markfield

Measham

Medbourne (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Melton Mowbray

Misterton – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Moira

Mountsorrel

Mowsley (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Muston

N

Nailstone

Narborough

Nether Broughton

Netherseal

Newbold Verdon

New Swannington

Newton Burgoland

Newton Harcourt (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Newtown Linford – no nonconformity found

Newtown Unthank – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Normanton le Heath

North Kilworth

Norton juxta Twycross

O

Oadby (draft entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Oakthorpe

Old Dalby (Dalby on the Wolds)

Orton on the Hill

Osbaston

Osgathorpe

Overseal

Owston (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

P

Packington

Peatling Magna – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Peatling Parva – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Peckleton

Peggs Green

Pickwell – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Plungar

Prestwold

Primethorpe (see draft entry for Broughton Astley prepared for the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Q

Queniborough (entry from VCH Explore site)

Quorn

R

Ragdale

Ratby

Ratcliffe Culey

Ratcliffe on the Wreake – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Ravenstone

Rearsby

Redmile

Rolleston – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Rotherby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Rothley

S

Saddington (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Saltby

Sapcote

Saxby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Saxelby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Scalford

Scraptoft – no evidence found

Seagrave

Seale – see Netherseal and Overseal

Sewstern (entry from VCH Explore site)

Shackerstone

Shangton (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Sharnford

Shawell – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Shearsby

Sheepy Magna & Parva

Shenton

Shepshed

Sibson

Sileby

Sinope – no nonconformity found, 1829-1916

Skeffington

Slawston (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Smeeton Westerby (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Snarestone

Somerby – see VCH Explore website

South Croxton

South Kilworth

South Wigston

Sproxton

Stanton under Bardon

Stapleford – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Stapleton

Stathern

Staunton Harold – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Stockerston – none known

Stoke Golding

Stonesby

Stoney Stanton

Stonton Wyville (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Stoughton – no evidence found

Sutton Cheney

Sutton in the Elms (see draft entry for Broughton Astley prepared for the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Swannington

Swepstone

Swinford

Swithland

Syston

T

Theddingworth (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Thornton

Thorpe Acre

Thorpe Arnold – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Thorpe Langton (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Thorpe Satchville

Thringstone

Thrussington

Thurcaston

Thurlaston

Thurmaston

Thurnby (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Tilton on the Hill

Tonge

Tugby

Tur Langton (entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Twycross – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Twyford

U

Ullesthorpe

V

W

Walcote

Waltham on the Wolds

Walton (near Kimcote) – – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Walton on the Wolds

Wanlip – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Wartnaby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Welham (entry from Victoria County History of Leicestershire, volume V)

West Langton (included in Church Langton entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Whetstone

Whitwick

Willoughby Waterleys

Wigston Magna (draft entry from the Victoria County History of Leicestershire)

Wilson

Withcote – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Witherley

Wistow (from Leicestershire VCH volume V)

Woodhouse

Woodhouse Eaves

Woodville

Worthington

Wycomb – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Wyfordby – no nonconformity found 1829-1916

Wymeswold

Wymondham

X

Y

Z

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